


Runaway

by allycat0500



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Academy Era, Doctor Who: Academy Era, Gallifrey, Gen, Mild Thoschei, Running Away, This is the night the Doctor ran away from Gallifrey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27031126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allycat0500/pseuds/allycat0500
Summary: AKA The night Koschei’s world changed, AKA The night Theta Sigma ran away.It was just past midnight when Koschei got the knock on his door, the knock that would change things forever.
Relationships: The Doctor | Theta Sigma & The Master | Koschei (Doctor Who: Academy Era), The Doctor | Theta Sigma/The Master | Koschei (Doctor Who: Academy Era)
Kudos: 29





	Runaway

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired heavily by the album “The Horror and the Wild” by the Amazing Devil.

It was just past midnight when Koschei got the knock on his door, the knock that would change things forever. 

Standing on the other side was Theta, his hair sticking to his forehead as if he had run the entire way.

“Theta?” he asked. “Is everything okay?” 

“Come with me.”

“Come with you? Why? Where are we going?” Theta pushed his way past his best friend into the house, looking around. “Theta?”

“I can’t stay here anymore. There’s too much that doesn’t make sense, and they just want us to accept it. They say Gallifrey is… they say we’re the best, that Time Lords are the superior race, but I’ve been reading books, stories, and--” Koschei took Theta by the shoulders.

“Woah, breathe. Are you okay? Did something happen?” Slowly, he led Theta to the couch, sitting him down. “You’re acting… You’re worrying me, Thete.” Theta laughed sharply at that.

“Don’t call me that. I can’t stay here anymore, don’t you get it? I need to run. I need to be free, Koschei. What are we supposed to do, sit here for the rest of our lives? I don’t think I can do that, I don’t think either of us could. Come on, just like back at the Academy. Us, getting into trouble, doesn’t that sound amazing?” Theta looked up at him, with big, pleading eyes. Koschei looked away. Not this time. But running away…

He remembered all those years ago, snickering in a broom closet as they hid from their professors. He remembered sneaking off of the Academy grounds, he remembered them sitting in detention together on Saturday mornings.

And he remembered running through the fields of red, laughing, chasing each other, until they found the tree, their tree, the silver leaves glistening under the twin suns, and they’d climb and play until it was dark, when they’d lay in the grass, holding hands as they stared into the night sky, filled with stars. 

“One day, we’ll visit all of them,” Theta would say. “Together. One day we’ll be known across the galaxies!” Koschei would only laugh at that. 

“That’s what everyone says,” he’d say. “And look how many have done it.”

“Yeah, well… we’re different. We’ll show everyone.”

“You’re right, we will,” Koschei wanted to say. But he never did.

And then he was back in the present, Theta staring at him, waiting.

“No,” he finally said. “I’m not going. And you shouldn’t, either. You have a family. So do I. It wouldn’t be fair to them.”

“Forget them, we’ll start our own family! Just you and me, and we’ll take a TARDIS, and--”

“Theta,” Koschei cut in, “you’re acting delusional. You know we can’t do that.” He sat down, taking the blonde’s hands in his own, just like all those years ago. “Why don’t you get some rest, and we can--”

“No!” Theta yanked his hands away, standing. “You don’t get it! I can’t stay here! If you want to sit here and waste your life away, become nothing, then go ahead! But I’m not going to just sit here and let my life pass me by. I want to see it all, ‘Schei, don’t you get it? I want to see the stars, and the planets, and meet the people, and…” Theta trailed off as he looked at his friend. “You’re really not coming, are you?” Koschei only shook his head. 

There was silence. The air seemed to be full of static, neither of them wanting to say a word. They both looked away, Koschei playing with the arm of the couch.

“I know, it’s stupid,” Theta finally spoke. “It’s dangerous and crazy, and… I have to do it. I don’t know why, I can’t stay here anymore. Maybe it’s just for a day. Maybe it’s forever. But I won’t know until I leave.”

“Fine,” Koschei said shortly, keeping his gaze down. “Fine. Just… don’t forget me.”

“I won’t,” Theta said. “I could never.” Theta gently placed a kiss to his friend's forehead, before walking to the door. “I’m sorry. I have to do this.” The door shut behind him. Koschei stood, walking to the door, his hand resting on the handle, but not daring to turn it. He couldn’t. Tears welled up in his eyes. On the other side, Theta stood on the doormat, unable to make himself move, his eyes shut tightly in an attempt not to break. 

Then, he took his first steps to the unknown.


End file.
